After last Wednesday’s meeting, the Trigg County Justice Center will sport $120,000 bands of limestone trim on its exterior walls. The Project Development Board voted to include the alternate to the project by a unanimous project.

Vance Mitchell, representing the Administrative Office of the Courts told members of the board that the AOC’s Budget Office reviewed the request and found it to be appropriate and viable within the project’s budget.

“The Budget Department keeps close tabs on the contingency fund, and want us to be good steward’s of the project’s funds,” said Mitchell. “I’ve conferred with them, the Jude/Executive, architects and representatives from (Codell Construction management,) and convinced them to see things our way.”

Mitchell said that the contingency fund within the budget was in “great shape” even after including wainscoting for the exterior of the building. “If you all approve the limestone, we’ll still be in great shape with $700,000 in the contingency. I told the budget department that this board vowed to watch expenses closely. I feel like we can still take care of parking at the end of construction if we continue to watch our expenses.”

Richard Mitchell, representing Codell Construction said that the limestone would cost $120,000. “Originally we planned for cast stone but made that an alternate,” Richard Mitchell said. “That was going to cost $128,000 so we are getting a superior product for less money. To date, limestone is the only construction material I know of that is cheaper this year than it was last year.”

Vance Mitchell added that the board had an opportunity to make the building, “finer than it was to begin with.”

After a motion from Circuit Judge C.A. “Woody” Woodall and a second by Magistrate Jon Goodwin, the inclusion of the limestone passed the board without opposition.

Trigg County Judge/Executive Stan Humphries then asked the board to approve the color and type of brick to compose the façade of the building. Humphries said that builders asked the board to consider a “red desert” colored brick from Sioux City Brick. He said that the brick possessed a smoother surface to resist future soiling and discoloration.

Richard Mitchell said that the brick was a through color brick and would not change color due to chipping or breakage. He said that he would present the board with a mockup featuring the bricks and limestone proposed to make a choice on the color of mortar. “It will take eight to 12 weeks to get the bricks and limestone made. We’ll be erecting steel in the meantime so when the bricks get here, we’ll be ready to go.”

Keep up with the Justice Center's progress by reading The Cadiz Record.